A/N: I haven't written anything for 10 whole days! (Lab reports, essays & assignments don't count!). WOW! I thought of working on Mother & Sons for TOBITF but I'm still off my game a bit and these snippets in my head won't leave me alone! I know the story of the R break up has been done so many times, in so many different ways, but I just have to get in my version of it! For this story, I'll be using some dialogues from episodes 62 and 70 but the sequence of the events will be altered. I'm staying close to the anime but will be adding in my own twist as well. For one thing, there won't be any Rini in my story. And the formatting is slightly different than my other stories. I'm also trying my hand with angst (Suits my current mood!).

Well, here's presenting you my Fourth fanfic: Come Back to Me...which will be told in three-shots (maybe four).

This story is dedicated to Shaydoe, a wonderful friend I met on ff. You are a treasure! :)

Thoughts are in Italics.

(Standard disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sailor Moon characters. All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.)

Summary:

In the R series break up, Darien's pain & the Scout's role as concerned friends weren't really highlighted. This tale that's loosely based on the series, explores the Scout's & Darien's POV as well as Serena's. Angst with a happy ending (and no Rini) that's told with quite a bit of sorrow & a touch of romance where Darien will get the chance to ask Serena to...'Come Back to Me'

Come Back to Me (Part 1: Heartache)

Serena lay in the dark, aching. Ached and ached and ached. Closing her tear shrouded eyes, his handsome face appeared before her. She could see the tenderness in his gaze, the love in his deep blue eyes every time he looked at her, could hear his smooth deep voice saying "I love you Serena."

It would get better with time, she tried to comfort herself, turning her face into her pillow. Hot tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. She doesn't believe that it would ever get better. "Oh! Please come back to me!" She moaned desperately into her pillow. Her shoulders heaved. More tears came. Violent, helpless, hopeless tears. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. She cried until sleep took her in the early hours of morning.

Walking back from school the following day, Serena's mind was still fuzzy with fatigue from her lack of sleep and her crying jag. She had gone through the day in a daze. It seemed even Miss Haruna took pity on her and neglected to bestow her usual detention.

Sighing, she absentmindedly pressed a hand to her heart. Her head ached now and in her belly, swam the now constant vague sickness. I'll just lie down. Sleep it off. She told herself. But the image of him came to the forefront of her mind yet again. He's always there, lurking in every corner of her consciousness.

She knew that broken hearts heal. Knew also that chances are, the cracks would always be there, the thin scars. But these too, would heal. Many before her had lived and laughed, walked and talked with those cracks and scars. But how many of these hearts were broken by one so entrenched in their lives? A soul mate from a previous life? One who's like a thread that's so woven into the tapestry of their lives, that to pull it out meant everything else would unravel?

Realising that she's once again very close to tears, Serena struggled to bear it down. She started walking faster to get back home, keeping her head down all the while. She had gone no more than a dozen steps when Lita hailed her.

"What's wrong Serena? You look so down," her sometimes overprotective brunette friend asked worriedly.

"Is everything okay in School?" Amy enquired, equally concerned.

"No, I'm fine. There's nothing wrong, really." Serena forced a smile to her face. It didn't quite reach her eyes though.

Lita decided not to press the issue "Great! I hate it when you're a mope," she said brightly.

"Yes. You're much more fun when you're happy. Just come to us if you need to talk," Ami said earnestly, trying to cheer her friend up.

"Thanks a lot guys. You really are great friends! I'm really okay." Another forced smile. Another futile attempt at convincing her friends that she is indeed okay.

Before she could say anything else though, a familiar tall handsome raven haired man crossed their path.

"Darien..." his name came softly out of her mouth.

Serena braced herself. Just be cool. Now I'll just gracefully saunter up to him...

So she walked towards him, unable to prevent herself from leading with her heart.

Darien stopped, dipped his hands into his pockets, and made himself look at her. He could all but feel her soft delicate arms wrapping themselves around his waist, the press of her warm body against his in her usual greeting. For a moment, just for a moment, he looked every bit as miserable as she felt.

The image of his nightmares played in his mind. His resolve strengthened. I need to make a clean break. I need to make it quick. She'd be hurt and angry. There's no way to prevent either. But she'd get over it and she'd be safe. His impassive mask came up again, and he started walking away without acknowledging her or her friends.

"Wait Darien!"

In her haste to stop him, Serena fell and scraped her knees. A keening sound, akin to a wounded animal came out of her.

Darien stopped. He ached to pull her into his arms and hold on.

Serena stayed on her knees on the ground. Through a flood of tears, she saw him looking at her. Throwing pride aside, she sought for closure, a reason, a way to get him back.

"Darien. I just don't understand what changed between us. I've thought about it a million times. I can't come up with a reasonable answer. I would even change my Meatball hair if you want me to?!" she begged.

The look on her face, the pain, the despair, etched themselves into his head, on his heart and in his gut.

Abruptly, he turned away and started to walk away again. He couldn't breathe, wasn't certain how much longer he could stand.

"Please Darien, please. Why won't you tell me?" Serena begged feverishly, refusing to give up.

Her shoulders racked with deep choking sobs. "I love you so much," she wept hysterically.

"Why won't you tell me what I did wrong? I'm begging you. Tell me what I have to change to get you to love me again," she implored brokenly.

Darien couldn't help himself. He turned to look at her.

"No. Don't change Serena. That's not it."

Just as broken hearted, sick to his stomach, he forced himself to walk away.

"Darien, don't leave me."

Serena sobbed out the pain, the grief throbbing in her chest, twisting in her belly. She felt Lita's arms around her, strong and tight. Amy joined them. Saying nothing, she simply hugged Serena from the other side.

Posted on fanfiction: 14 March 2013

A/N: Hmm... There's not much new there. It's mostly the retelling of a scene in Episode 70. But I have to start somewhere! Well, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know!

For those following TOBITF, the story is still the closest and very dear to my heart and I don't want to ruin it (like ending up killing off the twins!). With big plots everything you write will affect the following chapters and the storyline and I'm too tired to think ahead and too busy to contemplate forcing myself.

I have something big happening this weekend but I'll try and write a chapter after. You my dear readers get to decide whether it would be a chapter of TOBITF or CBTM! The story that gets the more review/favourite/follow (from today to Sunday) will be the one I work on and post next week! *Evil laugh* Misery does love Company! *Another evil laugh*